Which Should I Buy?

[RyanE]

I still play CMBB and CMAK a lot.  There are periods in there that still aren't and likely will never be covered by CM2.  Sometimes I like to see the british fighting it out with some Italians....or Italians on the Eastern Front.

Doen't mean I don't play CM2, but there are things about CM1 that make me open it up almost as much.

[Redwolf]

Well action spots present issues - sometimes as any game has issues with they way it models anything - just not in the way you said they do nor to the extent you imply. Just the usual hyperbole people seem to have to apply when picking faults with this game for some reason.

I can think of no way CMx1 wins over CMx2 - not one. Otherwise I would be playing that instead of the other. Again - people who cite cmx1 as in some way superior always forget all the things that game didn't do.

How much CMx1 did you play?

What feature specifically do you miss in CMx1?

[Father Ted]

Now I'm having a hard time pulling the trigger on either because 1)my backlog and 2) I'm just not used to spending $50 or more on a game any longer.

I feel the way I do every time I try to play WitP - I install it, stare at the screen in bewilderment for a few minutes, and then move on to something else.

Don't buy then!  I don't know Flashpoint at all, but CM has that effect on me.  I think they're a great series of games, but I somehow never quite get round to playing...Dig something out of your backlog and give that a good go.

[Zonso]

Flashpoint Campaigns and Combat Mission Red Thunder are radically different games and not really comparable. That said I have both and can offer some comments:

At first blush Flashpoint Campaigns is a great immersive game. It offers some tense moments holding off the Red hordes at the grand tactical level, ie hexes are 500m iirc. However after repeated play, it is meh more of the same and all the included scenarios basically boil down to the same thing. For a supposedly fluid, modern conflict, the game's limited mechanics forces you to fight from fixed positions until you or the enemy are eliminated to get the best results. Until that is changed with a more detailed SOP type system, and I understand plans are in the works, the longevity just isn't there. I don't regret the purchase, but after playing it isn't something I will likely play again until significant changes are made.

Combat Mission Red Thunder is the latest iteration of the series, version 3, with numerous improvements over the previous series. It is a tactical level game set in the Operation Bagration time frame. Apart from the included scenarios and campaigns, there is a scenario and map editor plus a QB generator so really unlimited replay value. With the inclusion of AI triggers, SP play is definitely more varied and rewarding. I mostly play SP and this game has really raised the bar imo. CMBO to CMRT would be like the Papua New Guinean looking up at the cargo plane for the first time. The series has advanced that far.

[Zulu1966]

Well action spots present issues - sometimes as any game has issues with they way it models anything - just not in the way you said they do nor to the extent you imply. Just the usual hyperbole people seem to have to apply when picking faults with this game for some reason.

I can think of no way CMx1 wins over CMx2 - not one. Otherwise I would be playing that instead of the other. Again - people who cite cmx1 as in some way superior always forget all the things that game didn't do.

How much CMx1 did you play?

What feature specifically do you miss in CMx1?

Well, I played cmx1 endlessly. Until shock force came out (after they fixed) it and then I played it less. When cmbn came out I didn't play much if any and now don't play at all.

As I said before I can't think of anything I miss from cm 1,perhaps you missed my point?
Cm 1 was a fantastic game but for me at least just a memory now cm 2 is here.

I loaded up the first scenario in the Russian campaign a few days ago and its an example of why I think it's such a good game. No other game gives you that scope and breadth of situations to play out and no game gives such an experience.

[RyanE]

Well action spots present issues - sometimes as any game has issues with they way it models anything - just not in the way you said they do nor to the extent you imply. Just the usual hyperbole people seem to have to apply when picking faults with this game for some reason.

I can think of no way CMx1 wins over CMx2 - not one. Otherwise I would be playing that instead of the other. Again - people who cite cmx1 as in some way superior always forget all the things that game didn't do.

How much CMx1 did you play?

What feature specifically do you miss in CMx1?

Random maps, ease of building some sandbox scenarios, more content overall.  I still play CM2, but there are some things it can't do.

[Zulu1966]

Well action spots present issues - sometimes as any game has issues with they way it models anything - just not in the way you said they do nor to the extent you imply. Just the usual hyperbole people seem to have to apply when picking faults with this game for some reason.

I can think of no way CMx1 wins over CMx2 - not one. Otherwise I would be playing that instead of the other. Again - people who cite cmx1 as in some way superior always forget all the things that game didn't do.

How much CMx1 did you play?

What feature specifically do you miss in CMx1?

Random maps, ease of building some sandbox scenarios, more content overall.  I still play CM2, but there are some things it can't do.

Well yes random maps you cant do - but lets be honest - in cm 1 they were pretty dire.

I find building sandbox stuff pretty easy in CM2 - plenty of great maps to do things with so you don't need to expend effort there - especially with the concept of master maps.

I guess one thing I do miss from the CM 1 games is to old campaigns - I know they produced some anomalies at times - but given the larger maps in CM 2 I am pretty disappointed they didn't continue in that vain. I like the new campaigns in some ways if properly created and largely they are - but there was just something about fighting a protracted engagement over the same terrain which gave a sense of immersion to small scale tactical combat

[Skoop]

So back to the OP, as you can see CMx2 draws so much discussion.  As a grog I recommend every one experience it once.  The fact that the engine is now in a 3.0 version and there's plans to keep going, is a testiment.

[tgb]

For the record I caved and bought Flashpoint Campaigns. I took a stab at the tutorial, and realized I had better tackle the manual first, and then read a couple of AAR's.  But I like what I see so far.

[Nefaro]

For the record I caved and bought Flashpoint Campaigns. I took a stab at the tutorial, and realized I had better tackle the manual first, and then read a couple of AAR's.  But I like what I see so far.

It's definitely not your typical hex & counter wargame.   :D

[tgb]

I'm sure I'll get jumped on for saying this, but it strikes me as being a turn-based variation of the Command Ops engine (in a different theater, obviously)